


Training a Tiger

by thisisallivegot



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: M/M, Sexual Violence, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-05-15
Updated: 2012-06-07
Packaged: 2017-11-05 09:55:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/405118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thisisallivegot/pseuds/thisisallivegot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sebastian was just waiting to die, when he was approached by a criminal mastermind. Their life together is more twisted and more interesting than he could have ever predicted.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Found

**Author's Note:**

> This is obviously only the first chapter, and things will get more interesting from here. It WILL become darker, more sexual, and more violent. This has not been Brit-picked, so it would be awesome if someone offered. Also, critique is more than welcome. Thanks for reading.

The name pervaded bars and alleyways in hushed whispers; tales of a God and a genius and a criminal; a spider with infinite web – Jim Moriarty. The rumours reached every crevice of the underworld, but the words never came with a face. All the people that had ever personally met the man were either far too loyal to divulge such things, or they were dead. That's why, when a short Irishman sat down on the bar stool next to Sebastian, he didn't turn. 

“May I buy you a drink?”

Sebastian looked over at him. He was impeccably dressed in a dark suit, with slicked back hair, dark brown eyes, and a strong jaw line. The man was attractive, and he radiated confidence in a way that Sebastian couldn't help but be drawn to. He glanced briefly back down at the empty glass in front of him before replying. It took less than a second for him to decide that he had nothing to lose.

“Sure.”

The man looked up at the bartender, who hurried over to him. “Scotch.” 

The bartender nodded at him and hastily made the drink, sitting it down in front of Sebastian before walking off. Sebastian raised an eyebrow at the choice.

“I know your usual preference is vodka, but you're not drinking that cheap shit in my presence.”

Sebastian snorted. “And how do you know what I drink? I don't believe I've seen you around here before.” Sebastian really couldn't care less, but if it meant getting laid tonight, he was willing to put up with a bit of small talk. 

The man beside him grinned. “Colonel Sebastian Moran, son of the famous Augustus Moran. Served in the army for years, but was dishonourably discharged for excessive cruelty and problems with authority. Left the army to hunt tigers, sometimes with his bare hands, making quite the reputation for himself throughout the world.”

Sebastian scoffed at him. “Yeah, tell me something that half the people in this bar don't already know.”

The man's face fell, and Sebastian saw something dark in his eyes. The man leaned in closer, until he was whispering in the taller man's ear. “Do they know about Daniel Webbers, your first kill, when you were fourteen? Stabbed twelve times in the chest. An amateur kill, but not bad for a child.”

Sebastian turned to face the man fully and fingered the gun hidden against his left hip. “How do you know about that?” His voice had turned cold, his military instincts taking over now that he realized he might be in serious danger.

The man was unfazed, and even appeared cheery. “No, no, Sebastian, you really don't want to shoot me.”

Sebastian was unconvinced, but the man kept talking anyway.

“I have a job for you.”

“I'm not interested.” He didn't know who this man was, but he knew more than he should, and that made him a liability.

“It wasn't a request.”

He began to pull his gun out of its holster, tired of this man's games already. He had quickly lost his patience for playing around.

“Put the gun down, Moran.”

For reasons that he couldn't explain to himself, he obeyed, sliding the gun back down into it's place. He never took his eyes off the shorter man.

The man smiled widely, then reached forward to pat Sebastian softly on the head. “Good boy. Just as I thought, you'll do quite well.” He shoved his hands back into the pockets of his suit as Sebastian growled. “Seems to me that you don't have a problem with authority; you just have a problem giving respect to those who don't deserve it.”

“And you think that you're so deserving?” Sebastian quipped, annoyed.

The man grinned again, extending his hand to the soldier. “Jim Moriarty.”

Sebastian stared at the offered hand for a moment before taking it and shaking it firmly with his own. He chuckled to himself. A moment later, he turned back to the bar and downed his drink. Then, turning back to Moriarty, he finally spoke, his voice steady, without the scared waver that Moriarty heard so often after introducing himself. “You said you have a job for me?”

Moriarty giggled gleefully before standing. “Let's go. There's a car waiting for us out front.”

Sebastian followed the man outside, never looking back at the pub he had frequented for so long.

Sebastian's eyebrows approached his hairline as he realized that the car that Jim had referred to was actually a sleek black limousine parked directly in front of the door of the pub. 

"Isn't this a bit conspicuous?" 

Jim rocked back on his heels playfully. "Conspicuous to whom? All of the patrons in that bar were my men."

Sebastian nodded slightly in understanding. "And I suppose that if they weren't, no one would challenge the great Jim Moriarty."

Jim ignored the mocking note to his voice, but the smile he gave in response was feral. "Glad to see that you understand."

Jim opened the back door of the limo and gestured for Sebastian to climb inside. The older man did so, ducking his head and sliding into the smooth leather seat. Jim shut the door and walked over to the other side, then proceeded to climb in. He turned to look at the driver. 

"Take us to the apartment."

"Yes, sir." The car began to move, and Sebastian noted absently that the driver didn't ask any questions. It seemed that Jim trained his men well. 

"We're going to your apartment?"

"One of them, yes."

Sebastian scoffed. "Of course you would have more than one."

"Of course. One can never be too care~ful", Jim sing-songed. 

Sebastian rolled his eyes, but didn't contradict him.

"So, exactly how many apartments do you have?" Sebastian asked, already knowing that he wouldn't get an answer.

Jim barely glanced at the man beside him. "That isn't something that you need to know yet." 

Sebastian nodded mutely to himself. It made sense that this man wouldn't trust him with such sensitive information yet. He didn't trust Moriarty; why should Moriarty trust him? He would have to wait and see where this new turn of events led him.


	2. Chapter 2

The ride to Jim's flat took just under half an hour, and most of it was spent in silence. When the car stopped, Jim stepped out without a word and began walking toward the building, fully expecting Sebastian to follow him. Sebastian bit back a comment at the lack of manners, and instead followed wordlessly behind his new boss. As they walked through the common rooms of the first floor, he noticed how everyone in the room seemed to gravitate around Jim – they cleared the way for him, or nodded their heads, one even pushing the button for the lift. Sebastian was slightly impressed.

“They're all your men?”

“Of course. I own the building.”

Sebastian was only somewhat surprised. He had heard that Moriarty was rich, but this was simply extravagant. The building was obviously expensive, filled with golden patterns etched on the walls and a grandiose chandelier hanging from the ceiling. He couldn’t help but think that this was too ridiculous for any one man to own - and from what Moriarty had said, he had several more like it. Just how much money did this man have? Before he could consider it farther, the lift doors slid open and he and Jim stepped inside. Jim pressed the button for twelve - the top floor. 

Sebastian snorted. “Top floor? Is that supposed to be some symbol of your power?”

“Do you really think I need one?” 

Sebastian had to concede the point. Moriarty’s name itself was filled with power, and even the way that the man held himself screamed that he was in charge. Now that he knew who the man was, he didn’t understand how he hadn’t known it from the moment that he laid eyes on him. 

“Because I didn’t want you to.”

“What?” He was snapped out of his reverie by Jim’s unexpected statement.

He rolled his eyes. “You were wondering how you didn’t know who I was from the beginning. The answer is that I didn’t want you to. I’m good at many things, and one of those things is disguise.”

Sebastian was silent for a moment as he thought that over. “Why did you not want me to know? Probably would have made that conversation go a lot faster.”

“Yes, but I wanted to see how you would react to me. If you had acquiesced at first, to just any man, you wouldn’t have been worth my time. I need someone independent. A fighter.”

Sebastian grinned. “Well then, you’ve got the right guy.” He was silent for a moment longer before he spoke again. “What would you have done if I hadn’t said yes?”

Jim didn’t even spare him a look. “You did. I knew you would.”

“But what if I hadn’t?” Sebastian pressed. 

Jim turned to look at him, telling Sebastian that he already knew the answer. “Then you would be dead.”

Sebastian didn’t have time for a response before the doors to the lift slid open noiselessly. Sebastian’s eyes widened at what he saw. He had expected long hallways with doors littering the sides, but that was far from what he got. There were no hallways, and the entire floor was mostly open. There were walls separating rooms, but it was a far cry from the typical flat that he had been expecting. Instead, it appeared that the entire floor was Jim’s living quarters. The lift doors had opened into what was obviously a sitting room, though it appeared that it was rarely used. There were paintings on the walls that Sebastian was sure were worth more money than he had ever been paid in his lifetime, and he couldn’t help but whistle appreciatively. 

Jim allowed himself a small smile. “Wait until you see the rest.”

Sebastian decided to test his assumption. “The entire floor consists of your rooms, then?”

“Our,” Jim corrected.

“Excuse me?”

Without warning, Sebastian found himself with his back to a wall and Jim’s small hand wrapped around his throat. As a soldier, his immediate instinct was to fight back and get himself in control of the situation, but as an intelligent man, he knew that challenging Moriarty would not be in his best interested. He clamped down on his desire to push the smaller man off of him, and instead stood still, moving only slightly to lift his throat a bit in submission. Jim grinned ferally at him, and Sebastian couldn’t help but think that it reminded him of a shark. He wasn’t entirely sure that the comparison was inaccurate.

“There are certain rules that you’re expected to follow when working for me.” He let his hand fall from the sniper’s throat, but Sebastian wisely chose to stay still, back against the wall. “One of those rules is that I detest having to repeat myself. So don’t ask stupid questions when you heard what I said just fine the first time.”

Sebastian allowed himself to relax slightly, every movement careful. “Are you implying that I’ll be living with you?” he asked warily.

Jim let out a heavy sigh, as though annoyed at the man’s stupidity. “Of course.” When Sebastian merely stared at him, he continued. “You’re to be my bodyguard as well as my sniper. I need you nearby at all times, including in my flat, just in case some idiot happens to manage to make their way up here. I could handle them myself, but…really, why should I, when I have you?” He looked bored with the conversation.

“You met me barely an hour ago, and you’re already trusting me to be your bodyguard? To be in the same flat as you while you’re sleeping?” Sebastian was incredulous. There were men he had known his whole life that he didn’t trust that much, and never would. Though, he supposed that he would have to trust Moriarty with it now. It didn’t matter - Moriarty could kill him no matter where he was. The surprise, though, was that Jim trusted him.

“Yes.” Jim told him, as though it were obvious. 

Sebastian pushed the issue. “What if I decided to kill you?”

“You won’t.” Jim was confident. 

Sebastian nearly sneered. All his life, people had been intimidated by him. He wasn’t used to being talked down to, and he didn’t like it. “How can you be so sure? You wouldn’t be the first life I’ve ended, you know.”

Jim smiled at him. “Oh, I know. That’s half the reason I chose you. You’re an excellent killer.”

Sebastian let the compliment roll off him, not yet letting himself consider how Jim would know that. “And the other half?”

“Because you’ll obey me without question.” Sebastian merely raised on eyebrow, and Jim continued. “Well, with a little training, at least.”

“I still haven’t even accepted this job offer of yours.”

Jim began walking throughout the flat. “Yes you have.”

Sebastian began to mutter a protest, but Jim turned, pinning him with a look.

“Moran, do not question me farther. We both know damn well that you’ve already accepted this position, and now you’re only pushing your limits to see how much you can get away with. If you hadn’t intended to accept, you never would have followed me out of the pub, and you certainly never would have let me push you up against that wall when you could have easily over-powered me. Now, I’m going to go change clothes. Make yourself comfortable.”

As Jim walked out of the room, Sebastian stood gaping at him for a moment. All of what the smaller man had said was true, but Sebastian hadn’t expected him to be perceptive enough to pick up on it. No one had ever read him as easily as this man seemed to be able to, and he wasn’t sure how he felt about that. Instead of thinking too hard about it, he sat down on the sofa nearest to him, hoping that he was allowed to touch it. Jim had told him to make himself at home, after all, but he wasn’t sure exactly what privileges that allowed. He didn’t want to cross Jim - he knew that for sure. 

When Jim came back out into the room, he was dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a t-shirt. Sebastian raised his eyebrows, surprised to see the man in such a casual state of dress.

“What? You thought I wore three-piece suits in the privacy of my own home? That would get a bit uncomfortable, wouldn’t it?”

Sebastian grunted his agreement. 

Jim wrinkled his nose. “Don’t grunt. You aren’t a caveman.”

“Err.” Sebastian really wasn’t sure what the proper protocol for this situation was, so he went with the first thing that came to mind. “Yes, sir.”

Jim laughed light-heartedly. “You can call me Jim. Or, if you’re more comfortable with formality for awhile, call me Boss. That’s what most of my employees call me, to my face at least.”

Sebastian rolled that over in his head for a moment. “Alright…Boss.”

Jim grinned at him. “Now, to talk about pay!” He clapped his hands together. “I admit, I didn’t have a specific number in mind, but suffice it to say that anything you could want for will be yours. You’ll be staying here, rent free. Your food will be payed for, and I will, of course, be buying you an entirely new wardrobe.”

“Hey!” Sebastian protested. “What’s wrong with my wardrobe?”

“Did you see the men downstairs? All of my employees are well dressed, and you are far from the exception. In fact, since you’ll be so close to me, you must be even more impeccably dressed than all those underlings. You are a reflection of me, and I refuse to be seen as anything but perfect. I expect you in suits whenever we’re doing official business - we’ll go out tomorrow to have you fitted. For more…covert operations, you’ll be allowed to dress in a more relaxed manner, but you will never, ever look sloppy. When we’re here at home, you may where what you wish, but you can guarantee that it will be designer brand.”

Sebastian thought that that was all rather unnecessary, but he didn’t argue. He knew that it would have been pointless, and he could guess that it was one of Jim’s rules that he hadn’t heard about yet. 

Jim continued talking. “In addition to all that, I’ll set up a bank account for you, and it will always be full. You will be left wanting for nothing. If, by some chance, there ever is something you want that you can’t afford, you can simply come to me, and I’ll make sure you get it. I have the money to throw away, so it really isn’t an issue. Understood?”

“Yes, Boss.” Sebastian was still soaking up all this new information, and really had no idea what else to say.

“Great. Then let me show you the rest of the flat.” 

Sebastian nodded, following after his new employer.


End file.
